Project Engineer I Water & Wastewater

Essential Utilities, Inc.•Richmond, VA

About The Position

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company, employs people in a variety of roles within our eight-state footprint, ranging from field workers and customer service representatives who are on the front lines working with customers, to scientists and engineers who help ensure we’re delivering reliable water and wastewater services to our communities. If you’re looking for a rewarding career helping improve our environment and protect our natural resources, we encourage you to join our team! About Essential Utilities Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities. Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status - including a competitive and comprehensive benefits package as well as a commitment to career growth opportunities. We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint. Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S. ESSENTIAL DUTIES: (Primary Duties and Responsibilities) Facility planning to identify future capital improvements necessary to maintain proper water and wastewater service and to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements. Implements annual capital improvement plans and the budget, under the supervision of State Operations Manager, to identify and prioritize capital projects, including selecting design approaches and estimating project costs. Supervises and/or performs the design and construction of regional capital and maintenance projects, including preparation of contract documents and development of cost estimates, utilizing both in-house and contract resources, as required. Prepares cost estimates for capital projects, and construction schedules for the work. Oversees design and construction activities to achieve budget and schedule compliance. Coordinates design and construction phases of projects with personnel of all regional divisions and of other departments, outside contractors, and suppliers to ensure all operational needs are addressed, and obtain all needed inputs for design. Prepares or directs the preparation of permit applications for construction of assigned capital projects. Applications cover a wide range of land development, zoning, construction, and environmental approvals, at the local and State levels, and at times, at the Federal level. Meets with local officials and regulatory agency personnel to obtain project permits and authorizations. Represents the company at various federal, state and local levels. Establishes and maintains positive public relations with key customers, local officials, state and federal regulators, other state agencies, elected officials and industry groups. Provides engineering due diligence services for company acquisitions by identifying capital improvement needs for candidate systems, and estimate the costs and timing of needed improvements. Provides engineering due diligence services with developer projects including agreements and easements, as well as perform due diligence on acquisitions of new systems. Oversees maintenance of water system maps, records, and electronic data (i.e. hydraulic models, standard specifications, etc.) Maintains standard design and materials specifications for water and wastewater infrastructure. Assists in the review and updating of ongoing operations programs such as plant maintenance and safety as assigned. Provides and/or assists in training efforts associated with these programs. Assists in the review and applications of new technologies that would improve water quality or service to customers. Attends study forums conducted by various government agencies and professional organizations. Performs other assignments as required. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function(s).

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering or related engineering field required
Virginia EIT and ability to obtain P.E. license within 4 years
A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in hydraulic modeling, planning and analysis of water distribution and sewer collection systems.
Experience conducting hydraulic field testing, data collection programs, and master planning for water distribution systems and sewer collection systems required.
Proficient in Microsoft Office suite: Word, PowerPoint, Excel
Excellent written and verbal communications skills; communicate effectively (clearly, concisely and professionally) with internal customers
Ability to work well under pressure
Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment
A team player able to work effectively in a team fostered multi-tasking environment

Nice To Haves

GIS interest and experience would be considered a plus.
Familiarity with modeling software platforms (WaterGems, WaterCAD, EPAet, InfoWorks / Infowater etc.)

Responsibilities

Facility planning to identify future capital improvements necessary to maintain proper water and wastewater service and to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
Implements annual capital improvement plans and the budget, under the supervision of State Operations Manager, to identify and prioritize capital projects, including selecting design approaches and estimating project costs.
Supervises and/or performs the design and construction of regional capital and maintenance projects, including preparation of contract documents and development of cost estimates, utilizing both in-house and contract resources, as required.
Prepares cost estimates for capital projects, and construction schedules for the work.
Oversees design and construction activities to achieve budget and schedule compliance.
Coordinates design and construction phases of projects with personnel of all regional divisions and of other departments, outside contractors, and suppliers to ensure all operational needs are addressed, and obtain all needed inputs for design.
Prepares or directs the preparation of permit applications for construction of assigned capital projects. Applications cover a wide range of land development, zoning, construction, and environmental approvals, at the local and State levels, and at times, at the Federal level.
Meets with local officials and regulatory agency personnel to obtain project permits and authorizations.
Represents the company at various federal, state and local levels.
Establishes and maintains positive public relations with key customers, local officials, state and federal regulators, other state agencies, elected officials and industry groups.
Provides engineering due diligence services for company acquisitions by identifying capital improvement needs for candidate systems, and estimate the costs and timing of needed improvements.
Provides engineering due diligence services with developer projects including agreements and easements, as well as perform due diligence on acquisitions of new systems.
Oversees maintenance of water system maps, records, and electronic data (i.e. hydraulic models, standard specifications, etc.)
Maintains standard design and materials specifications for water and wastewater infrastructure.
Assists in the review and updating of ongoing operations programs such as plant maintenance and safety as assigned.
Provides and/or assists in training efforts associated with these programs.
Assists in the review and applications of new technologies that would improve water quality or service to customers.
Attends study forums conducted by various government agencies and professional organizations.
Performs other assignments as required.